A'ja Wilson Wins 2020 WNBA MVP Award for the 1st Time in Career

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson was crowned the 2020 WNBA MVP on Thursday. 

Wilson averaged 20.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 22 games during the regular season. She was also the single biggest reason the Aces tied for the best record (18-4) securing the No. 1 seed in the playoffs in a tiebreaker with the Seattle Storm.

Many viewed the MVP race as a head-to-head battle between Wilson and Storm star Breanna Stewart. The former was ultimately the runaway winner, earning 43 first-place votes to three for Stewart.

Stewart has made a remarkable comeback from the Achilles tear that kept her out for the entire 2019 season. The 2018 MVP averaged 19.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range.

Few will dispute the outcome of the voting, though.

The Aces lost two of their starters before the season even began. Liz Cambage opted out, while Kelsey Plum underwent Achilles surgery in June. Their absences put serious strain on a roster that was already top-heavy to begin with.

To some extent, Cambage's absence was good for Wilson because it meant the former South Carolina star would be the focal point of the offense. She scored 20 more total points compared to 2019 despite playing 43 fewer minutes.

Voters can often fall into the trap of coronating the best player on the best team, which doesn't always speak to the player's overall value.

According to WNBA.com, the Aces had a 12.5 net rating with Wilson on the court. Their net rating fell to 3.8 in the 183 minutes she was on the bench. Her 4.0 win shares were also second-highest in the league behind Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot (4.1), per Basketball Reference.

Now, Wilson will set her sights on mirroring Stewart's breakout 2018 campaign when the former UConn star added a WNBA title and Finals MVP to her resume.